Mexican Interjet won’t go back on SSJ100 contract, it plans to order 20 SSJ100 more

The initial contract stipulates the acquisition of 15 SSJ100, plus an option for five jets

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MOSCOW, May 18 (Itar-Tass) — The Mexican airline Interjet will not go back on the Sukhoi Superjet 100 contract; it plans to order 20 SSJ100 more, the Mexican media reported on Friday, citing the Interjet Board of Directors chairman.

The initial contract stipulates the acquisition of 15 SSJ100, plus an option for five jets. “The company may buy another 20 Superjets,” he said.

The contract was signed in January 2011. The first plane is due to arrive in the end of 2012. Mexican aviation authorities certified the jet this April, which made unlimited its use in the Mexican airspace.

A SSJ100 crashed in Indonesia during a show flight on May 9, 2012. It fell down in an area difficult of access not far from Jakarta, at the altitude of 1.7 kilometers. All the 45 people aboard, including 35 Indonesians, eight Russians, a citizen of France and a citizen of the United States, died in the crash. Fifteen crash victims have been identified by now.

The Indonesian buyer, Kartika, suspended the contract until the end of the investigation. Meanwhile, airlines, which are already using the SSJ100, said they would not do that.

Kartlika Airlines and Sukhoi Civil Aircraft signed the deal for Sukhoi Superjet-100 planes at the air show in Farnborough in July 2010. The deal cost 951 million dollars, and the deliveries were due in 2012-2015.

Russian Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce Yuri Slyusar also said there was no need to ban SSJ100 flights and he hoped that current and prospective customers would not change their mind.

Russian and Indonesian experts are deciphering data from the SSJ100 speech recorder. The parametric data recorder of the SSJ100 has not been found so far. The Indonesian media said that the deciphering of speech recorder data might take longer if the parametric data recorder was not found.

The Sukhoi Superjet 100 is a regional 100-seat aircraft designed and manufactured by Sukhoi Civil Aircraft with the assistance of Alenia Aermacchi. Its flight range varies from 3,048 to 4,578 kilometers depending on the modification.

The jetliner is being used by Armenia’s Armavia and Aeroflot – Russian Airlines. There are about 170 orders for SSJ100 jets.